Goodness Knows

Healthy snack bar brand, goodnessKNOWS, quickly grew to prominence when parent company Mars launched the product in the U.S. in the better-for-you snack bar category. This strong market positioning continued with the brand's U.K. launch. To capitalise on this wave of popularity, Mars approached TSI to gauge the potential for goodnessKNOWS success in China. Given high expectations for this opportunity, TSI worked with Mars to develop the optimal positioning and new product development pipeline for the goodnessKNOWS range.

Service

Discover

Client

Year

Mars

2015

Geography

China, U.S.

Health in China

Over the past five years, health and wellness have taken the country by storm. Three-quarters of Chinese say they participate in sports or other physical activities, compared to only 56% in the U.S., while gym memberships have been growing by 5 million people annually since 2011. China is one of the world's top four organic markets, 90% of Chinese consumers now drink some form of plant-based beverage, and nearly half purchase nutritional supplements.

Healthy snacking is also on the rise. Over 40% of urban consumers are eating more nuts, 63% are eating more fresh fruits and veggies, and 42% are consuming more dairy. Yet, there is still a knowledge gap and barriers to full adoption of healthy snacking.

Health

"I want to eat healthier, but when it comes to snacking taste comes first."

Product

"Good nutrition is all about variety and balance, but snack bars remind me of a Snickers."

Proposition

"For me, functional attributes and a clear benefit are the most important thing to see."

Addressing these barriers, and breaking into the snacking category, would take the rethinking of notions which may have worked in other markets. TSI identified seven spaces for the goodnessKNOWS brand to succeed in its China launch. These included the need to make snacking easy, provide nutritional balance and variety, while also being safe, tasty, and pure.